The Real Meaning Behind It
by No Pain No Gain
Summary: I always thought Thanksgiving was just about hogging turkey on a three-day long weekend. Guess I was wrong. After tonight, I, Zelda Harkinian, will have something to be thankful for... forever. ZeLink, Rated T... FYI, Canadian Thanksgiving was on Monday.


**Author's Notes:**

**For all you n00bs out there who think I'm a couple of months early for this subject, let me tell you that in Canada, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October. A.K.A, the Monday that just passed 2 days ago. I wanted ot post this Monday, but it didn't work out, so it's now.**

**Anyways... Little oneshot because I felt like it... I was originally going to do a 4-shot about my 4-day weekend, because it was EPIC. But... I decided I didn't feel like it. Arbraska for the win, by the way =D**

**And RAWR is my newest favourite word =]**

**Okay, enjoy =]**

*******************

"…And everyone will have a turn, telling us what they are thankful for."

Friday afternoon, English class, last period. Hard to keep your head up, especially when you just want to go home for the three-day weekend that's coming up ahead.

Three-day weekend? Oh, you know, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday! Why Monday? Oh gosh, I forgot to explain, didn't I? Well, see, this Monday will be the second Monday of October… That means Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving, you know, that old tradition, where the natives thanked their gods for the good crops and the great year that had passed them by. In these modern days, only believers do that… In church… I don't like that place. So instead, my family sticks to the modern celebration: family gathering while chomping on some turkey. Yum.

Unfortunately, my teacher's one of the people who believe that Thanksgiving is more than just a day off to eat turkey. Every year, apparently, she asks students to orally say what they are thankful for. Sometimes, it's embarrassing for some people, and... I'm afraid I'll be one of them.

"MISS HARKINIAN!"

I snapped back to attention when the teacher called my last name.

"Yes Ma'am?" I quickly asked, blinking out of my daze.

"Pay attention." She motioned to Dark, one of my classmates, who was waiting to say what he was thankful for.

"I'm sorry." I lowered my eyes on my navy blue skirt, fingers fiddling with my light blue long-sleeved shirt. Brushing a few strands of my long blonde hair out of my face, I lifted my azure eyes after I made sure the teacher was looking at Dark, who was randomly talking about his collection of video games.

"That's marvellous, Dark." The teacher grabbed her notepad to note him, an unimpressed expression on her face. Proud and beaming, Dark sat back down on his chair. "Now, Midna, go ahead." The teacher sighed, looking at the orange-haired girl behind Dark.

I don't like Midna. She's probably the most popular girl in this school: the typical asshole. Short skirts, tank tops, jewellery, the latest hairstyle, makeup... bitch.

I snickered, bringing one of my hands to mask my smirk. The teacher noticed, though.

"Zelda Harkinian, one more time, and you're out of this classroom!" she screamed.

"I-I'm sorry Ma'am." I quickly apologized again, not wanting to get thrown out. Hey, I might not be like Midna, but I'm still popular, and getting a bad girl attitude could ruin that for me. We popular girls have tight restrictions: stick with your girlfriends, get good grades, look preppy, but act tough, date hot popular guys, pretend to be the unpopular girls' friends, mock nerds, and ignore unpopular guys. Life is tough for someone like me, who's the daughter of the Minister of the Environment. I always wanted to change schools, somewhere where I could be normal, but everyone knows the Minister of the Environment for making the newest ecological laws of Hyrule, and I don't think I could EVER be left alone.

"Midna, could you restart please?" the teacher broke through my musings.

"Of course Ma'am." Midna flashed a fake smile at her, then stood up royally and cleared her throat. "As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted by Zelda." She looked at me crossly. I returned her murderous gaze with pleasure. "I am thankful for my money. I am thankful that I have three chalets, four horses, a private amusement park, a huge, five-storied house, one big pink room, sixteen TV's and nine laptops. I'm also thankful for having my own personal butler who comes to pick me up every day after school in my limousine. And finally, I'm thankful for my hot boyfriend, Zant, whom I will marry and get lots of kids with so we can live together in a huge mansion." She finished with a proud smile.

"You're only 17, asshole, you can't marry so soon." A guy from behind shouted. We're all either 17 or 18 here anyway. Eleventh grade, last year of high school, hallelujah.

"SHEIK! GET OUT OF THIS CLASSROOM! I WON'T TOLERATE ANY INSULTS HERE!" the teacher yelled, pointing to the door.

The blond from behind got up, shrugged, and walked out, but not without giving Midna a punch beforehand. She growled and clutched her arm as I struggled to hide another grin. Nice one, Sheik. Being one of the most popular boys around, there is no problem with him punching Midna. We're actually pretty good friends, but he's dating Tetra, my best friend.

"Alright... Before Sheik interrupted us... Midna was talking. Is that all, Midna?" the teacher asked.

"Yes Ma'am! I would be thankful for my thousands of clothes and shoes too, but I think I've run out of time. I'll talk about those next Thanksgiving." She gave herself the permission to bow 'humbly' before sitting down. Around her, her bitchy friends started clapping.

"Alright, I guess... Though you should understand that Thanksgiving isn't all about material possessions. Haven't you thought of your parents, or siblings, or health?" the teacher asked.

"Yeah, I did, but I figured since there was a time limit, I might as well talk about my amusement park and limousines." She smirked.

The teacher sighed. "Fine." She noted down something on her notebook, then went over to the next one.

"Alright, Vaati, go ahead."

---

By the end of the period, almost everyone had passed. Only my row remained.

"Thank you Tetra for talking about your friends. I think, though, that you should be thankful that you have a comfortable life, and good health, instead of just being thankful for your best friends and boyfriend." The teacher noted.

"Everyone knows I'm thankful for those, so I'd rather stick to the other things that aren't so obvious." She shrugged innocently.

"Alright, as you wish..." the teacher noted down something, then finally moved onto me. "How about you, Zelda?" she asked.

Gulping down nervously, I slowly stood up, and taking Tetra's encouraging smile, I cleared my throat.

"I'm thankful for... having such a loving family... and lots of encouraging friends... And a good house... And a life that is fuller than I'd ever expected." I thought for a moment. "I'm thankful for being in school, where I can get a good education, and grow up to be what I've always dreamed to be…"

"A noob?" Midna's sarcastic voice rang from the other side of the room.

"Miss Twilit." The teacher interrupted.

"I am so sorry, Ma'am, please forgive me." She lowered her eyes.

"It's alright." The teacher turned back to me. Midna then lifted her eyes and wrote 'n00b' on a paper, showing me the paper behind the teacher's back.

Gritting my teeth, I turned my attention back to the teacher.

"And to end it, I'm grateful for being in good health, and that my family and friends are as well." I smiled proudly.

"That's great, Zelda." The teacher finally nodded with a smile, writing down my note. Once she passed me by to go to the person behind me, I cut a piece of my eraser and threw it at Midna. It hit her in the middle of her forehead, and she gave out a light scream. I snickered, then turned back to Tetra, who was turned at me, laughing silently.

We exchanged notes for a while, mostly about how lame this project was, and what Midna's face looked like when she got the eraser in her face. And suddenly, he teacher's voice broke through again. I quickly put away the paper, hiding it behind my notes.

"And, to finish it off, what are you thankful for, Mr Gaiden?"

"Gaiden?" Tetra turned to me, mouthing the last name the teacher just pronounced. "Who's that?" she raised a brow.

I shrugged, then turned around, wondering if it was a new kid I hadn't met yet, even if school had started a couple of months ago.

But as soon as I saw that dirty blond head, and those semi-dull blue eyes, I realized I'd been in his same class since ninth grade. Blushing, I struggled to recall his name.

Was it… Ying? Lin? Or maybe… Rin?

"Link, I'm waiting."

Oh yeah, Link." I laughed internally, feeling stupid. How could I have forgotten? That kid was always silent, the left-out kind of kid. The type I wasn't supposed to talk to. Feeling guilty, I looked at him as he fiddled with his thumbs, gaze downcast, eyes hidden behind his dirty blond hair.

"Link, I'm wai-"

"I'm thankful for being alive."

The entire class suddenly shut up at that. Even the teacher stopped talking and stared at him. A cold wind blew through the silent classroom. I gaped slightly, looking at him. He still hadn't lifted his head, but he stopped playing with his fingers.

"Could you repeat that, please?" the teacher broke out from her momentary shock, fixing her round glasses.

"I'm thankful for being alive." He repeated in the same voice. Right after that, he finally lifted his eyes and looked up at the teacher with a sad smile, almost… nostalgic?

"And… Nothing else? No family? Friends? Health? Or even material things like your house? Or your collection of video games? Or your chalets?" the teacher raised her brows, surprised.

"No, none of that. Just thankful for being alive." He repeated again, not even altering the pitch in his voice.

"And… why do you say that? Because you want to get a good grade?" the teacher sighed. "Link, this isn't about grades. Tell the class what you're honestly thankful for." She prompted.

"My life." He finally turned away, looking out the nearby window with a sad smile.

"Wow…" still shocked, the teacher wrote his note on her notepad, then went to the front of the class.

That's when Midna started laughing. Her bitchy friends followed. And the ones around them continued. Soon enough, the entire classroom was laughing, drowning out the teacher's desperate tries to make them stop.

I wasn't laughing though. I still pondered over Link's words. Why did he say he's thankful for being able to live? Everyone's thankful for that! Why didn't he mention anything else? Usually, someone like him would have at least mentioned his family, or some part of his material possessions…

I turned my attention back to him. He was still looking out the window, seemingly lost in his mind, not caring what anyone thought of him. He still had that sad, yet proud smile on his face. I kept staring at his gorgeous face, zoned out in some personal fantasy, until the teacher rang the bell that was meant to shut up the students. Slowly, everyone quieted down.

"Now, seeing as you're all so enthusiastic about this project, we'll continue it. I've decided, this year, to organize a Thanksgiving dinner, in class. Monday, you'll come to school from noon to 3PM, we'll hold a Thanksgiving dinner. Of course, all of you will be required to bring something. I'll be in charge of the turkey." The teacher explained.

Cries of joy and excitement, and some of disappointment for wasting their day off, rose from the class. I was still left blinking at Link, who wasn't paying attention to anything.

"I'll pass out little cardboard squares with what you need to bring written on them." The teacher picked up some white pieces of cardboard and passed them to the first of each row, who passed it behind them, who passed it behind them until the last of the row. I grabbed my cardboard piece and passed the remaining three behind me. Then, I looked down.

Canned cranberry sauce, huh? I'll pick it up Sunday then.

"No one forget what they need to bring, and have a nice Thanksgiving weekend! See you Monday!" the teacher barely had time to finish before the bell announcing the end of classes rang.

Everyone jumped up, and rushed out in a symphony of clattering chairs, desks, and cries of joy. I slowly got up, looking at Link, mesmerized by him. He finally turned back to the front, though he closed his eyes for a moment before sighing out in content. He followed by getting up, quickly gathering his books, putting them in his bag, swinging it on his back, and exiting the class. I didn't even notice, and before I knew it, he was gone.

"So… what are you looking at?" Tetra finally poked me. I snapped out violently, jerking and almost falling out of my chair. Tetra was immediately by my side, helping my breaths calm. "Okay, okay, if you're so emotional about it, I won't ask!" she laughed.

"Yeah, sorry." I slowly blinked and got up, grabbing my books and bag before heading out, my mind still mesmerized by Link's azure eyes, filled with nostalgia and sadness.

How could I have not known he was there all this time…?

---

Sunday afternoon… The department store could not have been more crowded.

It's officially been an hour I've been waiting in line. And for what? Cranberry sauce. Dammit, I knew I should have come before. Now, everyone who thought like me is here, buying his or her Thanksgiving dinner one day before the real thing.

I closed my eyes for a moment, tired of waiting. It's almost my turn now… Courage, Zelda, courage.

"Miss? Could you move please?" someone said from behind me.

I opened my eyes and turned around with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, thanks." And I moved forward in the line.

Not a minute later, I heard the cashier complaining.

"Sir, could you hurry it up? There are customers waiting in line."

"Sorry, sorry…" another voice sighed.

Curious on what the new holdup was, I broke from the line for a moment to look ahead. My surprise was infinite when I saw a familiar blond head, blue eyes darting over his wallet, carefully taking out and putting back in some rupees.

I stood frozen for a second again. Why was it that every time I saw him, I froze? And why now? Why hadn't I noticed him before?

I broke out of my daze when Link finally sighed in content, pushing towards the cashier a pile of countless green rupees. My eyes widened. Guess he never heard of yellow rupees or purple rupees.

I smacked myself for the comment. It wasn't very nice anyway. I simply followed him as he picked up what I realized was a pack of carrots (guess he needed to bring the carrots for tomorrow) and left. Only then did I turn my attention back to the cashier, who was motioning for me to come forward.

About time.

---

As I entered the classroom, cans of cranberry sauce in my bag hanging from my arm, my nose was immediately assailed by a delicious scent of roast turkey. Closing my eyes in delight, I headed for the teacher's desk and put down the sauce before turning around and trying to spot Tetra.

"Zelda! Over here!" a voice called out. I turned around to see Sheik waving at me with a smile. Returning his smile, I ran to his side.

"So where's Tetra?" I asked.

"She should be here any time now." he shrugged. "So what did you have to bring?" he asked.

"Cranberry sauce." I rolled my eyes.

"Wow, I had to bring six little fruit pies for dessert. Tetra's bringing another six, Mido's bringing another six, Vaati six more, Ganon, six more, and so on." He laughed.

"That's a lot of fruit pies." I laughed along.

"We're 37… Asides from Onox, who doesn't like them, there are 36 of us, so 6 people should have been enough." He shrugged.

"How can anyone not like fruit pies?" I mused out loud.

"You're asking me?" he laughed, then turned to the door just as Tetra came in, carrying a pack of 60 plastic cups under her arms. "Tet!" he called, waving.

"SHEIK!" she returned the wave, quickly putting down the cups on the teacher's desk before joining us. She gave Sheik a quick kiss before turning to me. "Hey Zelda, I've heard some disturbing rumours." She sighed.

"About what?" I innocently cocked my head to the side.

"Midna pretends... She saw you and that kid... what's his name again? Link... Yeah, Link. She said she saw you two talking. And... I mean, that's one of the unofficial rules of popularity: don't talk with the unpopular kids..." she sighed.

I froze. Midna pretended having seen us together? That's not true! Yet... would I enjoy that? In a way, I felt like I would...

"Tell me that's not true..." she whispered down at me.

I took a deep breath, disgusted at what I was gonna say. Yet, it was to protect my reputation. It was either my reputation, or my consciousness.

"I'd never talk to someone like him." I gave a fake smile, trying to seem haughty and spoiled. It seemed to work halfway, since Tetra threw me a worried glance, then turned to Sheik.

"Anyway, where were we yesterday?"

"You were kissing me?"

"Yeah, sides that. Hey Zelda, did you hear the big news?"

I only had time to spot a blond haired angel walking through the door before I got dragged into their conversation.

---

"...And happy Thanksgiving everyone! May the Goddesses make this year yet another year full of happiness and good events." The teacher smiled at us, putting up her cup of soda as a toast. We all followed, not interested in the least, just eager to get to eating. "A toast to all of us!" with that, she stepped out from in front of the buffet table, giving us the signal to start piling the food.

---

"Mmm... Zelda, this cranberry sauce goes really well with the turkey!" Sheik laughed, raising his fork with a piece of turkey dipped in red liquid on it.

"Yeah, it's really good." Tetra stuffed some turkey and rice in her mouth, chewing slowly.

"Yeah... Tetra, your cups are awesome." I laughed emptily, scanning around the room for someone in particular. I finally found him in his regular seat, sitting on the table, looking out the window like yesterday. I smiled gently, happy to see that he was clearly enjoying the food. Awkwardly enough, I was very happy when I spotted cranberry sauce on his turkey.

Dear Goddesses, why am I such a stalker?

"Hey, someone's a wannabe rabbit." Sheik finally noted, nudging Tetra towards my plate. They both started laughing almost immediately. I finally ripped away from Link to look at what they were laughing at.

Half my plate was occupied by baked carrots.

---

"Seeya tomorrow, you guys." I smiled, waving bye at Sheik and Tetra, who went down the stairs to their subway, as I crossed a bridge to mine.

Once down, I walked for the front of the train, sitting down on a nearby seat while waiting for the metro to arrive.

Pulling out my IPod, I stuck my earphones into my ears and put up the volume. I smiled when I recognized the song 'Eat You Up' by BoA playing. Closing my eyes, I rocked my head to the beat.

By the time the metro came, Eat You Up was finished, and one very annoying phrase was ringing in my ears.

"I'm on a boat!"

"Oh shut up, T-Pain, I get it, you're on a boat." I rolled my eyes, changing the song. To my glee, 'Headstrong' by Trapt, came on. No complaints to show, so I waited for the doors to open and stepped inside, sitting down on the nearest seat.

Once at my station, I got out of the metro and headed up to the surface, where I waited for the bus that would take me home. I smiled when it finally came, happy to get out of the blowing wind as I scanned my bus card and stepped inside.

But as soon as I came in, I turned back around and took the first seat there was, blushing. Destiny can twist your path a lot, sometimes. Who'd ever think he and I took the same bus? From the corner of my eye, I gazed at Link as he read a book, concentrated on his reading. I didn't even notice when the bus started up.

During the entire ride, I was looking at him. Anyone looking at me might have thought I'm a stalker. Who cares, though, there's something that always makes me wanna look at him.

I only turned away when he finally put his book away and got up, pulling on the wire that informed the bus driver that he had to stop at the next stop. I slowly looked back at him as he went and stood in front of the back door, waiting for the bus to stop. And for some reason, I registered perfectly when he stepped into an apartment building, only tearing my eyes away when he entered the front door.

And mechanically, I reached into my bag, pulling out my notepad and a pencil, my hands writing something on their own:

_648, East Majora Avenue._

---

Once home, I ripped my earphones out, shutting out the voice of the Basshunter singer as I turned off my IPod and threw it into my bag. The first person I saw was actually my mom, who suddenly rushed past me, into the kitchen.

"Hey mom!" I called, going in after her into the big marble-themed kitchen.

"Hey honey." She called with a smile, chopping potatoes in half and throwing them into the sink.

"What are you doing?" I asked, putting my bag down next to the table.

"Oh you know, family gathering for Thanksgiving tonight, finishing up the last minute preparations, like the hot food and the turkey." She laughed.

"Nayru, this'll be the second time today that I'll be eating turkey." I laughed.

"Admit it's good, though." She smirked, passing onto the carrots.

"Delicious. Yours is bound to be better than the teacher's, mom." I noted.

"Hell yeah it will." She grinned. I laughed. I love my mom.

"So when will the guests arrive?" I asked.

"In a couple of hours. Care to help me?" she asked hopefully.

"Sure, no prob." I nodded and grabbed an apron, putting it on before tying my hair and going over to the sink to wash my hands.

---

And that's how, a couple of hours later, I ended up around a table full of important people, friends of my dad's, and our family, including my aunts and uncles, as well as dastardly annoying little cousins. Though the turkey, rice and potatoes were laid out in front of us, I couldn't get my mind off of two azure orbs that seemed to peer deep into me every time I looked at them.

That's it. I suddenly took my untouched plate with a determined look.

"Mom." I got up from the table. "I'm going out to a friend's place. I'll be back later." I informed her.

"When will you be back?" she asked, holding a cup of wine in her hands.

"Late. Don't wait for me, I have keys." I told her, heading into the kitchen.

"Okay! Be careful!" she smiled, then turned back just in time to start laughing at one of my uncles' jokes.

Cool. First, I put the entire content of my plate into a Tupperware, and quickly headed over to the front door, grabbing my jacket and putting it on hastily. I then grabbed my bag, making sure my keys, cellphone and IPod were in it before exiting the house unnoticed.

---

648, East Majora Avenue.

I woke up when I heard the bus driving off behind me. Shaking my head, I slowly detached my eyes from the building and stepped inside through the front door. Once inside, I looked on the walls of the tiny lobby and found a list of all the residents.

"E.... F... G... Ga... Gaiden, got it." I smirked, noting the apartment number before heading for the elevator.

I impatiently waited for the elevator to come, and literally jumped inside when it arrived. I quickly pushed the button labelled 19, and held my breath as the elevator started up. Gradually, every time I raised a story, my nervousness built up. When I finally got out at the 19th story, I was nervous beyond bounds. As proof, my bag and the still-warm Tupperware in my hands were shaking.

Maybe I should just head back?

"No..." I whispered to myself, taking a step forward, and out of the elevator. "I came here to do this, no turning back now." I took a deep breath, anxiously counting the numbers on the door.

1915... 1917... 1919...

Taking a deep breath, I stood still in front of the next one.

Apartment 1921.

HIS apartment.

"Okay, on three." I whispered to myself, taking a deep breath. I slowly levelled my fist to the wooden door's middle. "One..." I put my fist back. "Two..." I took a deep breath. "Three."

Three knocks on the door. No sound inside.

"Maybe no one's home..." I whispered again. One part of me really hoped so, but another part was sorely disappointed.

I was about to turn back and go back home when the locks finally clicked behind the door, catching me by surprise. Gasping, I tried to calm my breathing, and look cool just as the door opened.

I was met with a couple of inquisitive azure eyes under flat, dirty blond hair that seemed to be wet.

"Umm... Yeah?" he asked in a small voice.

"Hi..." I gathered my courage and smiled. "You're Link, right?"

"Yeah." He nodded unsurely.

"Well, hi... I'm Zelda Harkinian... And... I'm in your class..." I slowly started.

"Who doesn't know that? You're one of those popular kids that everyone knows about." He rolled his eyes, leaning against the frame.

"Oh... yeah..." I bit my lip, looking down. "Anyway, I was wondering if... You'd like to... you know... spendThanksgivingnightwithme?" I quickly blurted out that part, blushing.

"Uh... What?" he cocked his head to the side.

"I was wondering if... I could spend Thanksgiving night with you..." I took a deep breath.

He slowly blinked, then straightened.

"Sorry, I don't find it funny when I'm implied in one of your stupid dares. G'night." With that, he started closing the door.

"WAIT!" an unknown force spurred me forward. "Wait!" I grabbed the door and pushed. "I'm sorry, I should have talked to you before! Truth is, I think that you're a really cool guy, and I just want to know you better!" I quickly blurted out.

He stopped for a moment, then opened the door again.

"Anyone acting on a dare would have let me close the door..." he slowly whispered to himself, apparently. "Fine." He rolled his eyes and went inside. "Come on in."

My heart fluttering, I nodded and quickly stepped inside, as if he'd suddenly change his mind and tell me to go.

"So… Are your parents okay with this?" I asked, trying to start a conversation.

He suddenly stopped walking. I stopped too, wondering if I said something wrong.

"My parents…" he sighed, turning to me with dull eyes. "Can't know what's going on now." he turned around and kept walking for the living room's couch. "They're six feet under, after all."

I gasped, feeling bad all of a sudden. "Oh, dear Farore, I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!" I practically begged. Damn, I must be desperate to get on his good side.

"It's okay, you didn't know." He sighed, plopping down on the couch. "Did you eat yet? I have some leftover spaghetti. In the fridge." He pointed at the mini-fridge behind the counter next to me while looking around for the remote.

"Did you eat?" I asked.

"Not yet."

"Well, you can't spend Thanksgiving eating spaghetti…" I moved next to him and handed him the Tupperware full of turkey, potatoes, carrots and rice. "Here… My mom cooked these… I brought them for you…" I looked down, blushing.

As for him, he looked up at me with curious blue eyes, scrutinizing me and the container in my hands. When he was done, which seemed like an eternity to me, he slowly reached out and grabbed the Tupperware, putting it on his lap and opening it.

"Thanks…" he muttered, smelling the food.

"I hope you like it…" I blushed even harder.

"I'm sure I will…" he suddenly smiled lightly. That simple smile was enough to lift my spirits, and I looked down at him as he grabbed a fork off the counter behind him and took a bite in a potato. "It's delicious." He complimented.

"Th-Thanks!" I exclaimed, a bit too eagerly, though.

"Hey, don't stand up, take a seat." He offered, motioning to the couch.

"O-Okay…" I nervously headed next to him and took a seat. "So what do you do on Thanksgiving night?" I asked, to try and start a conversation again.

"I watch a movie…" he shrugged.

"What are you watching tonight?" I asked, happy he'd replied with a topic that could go on through many branches.

"Gamer."

"Oh…" I struggled to remember what that movie was… I'm sure I saw its trailer somewhere. "Oh!" It clicked in my mind. "You mean, that movie where a guy gets stuck in a video game and has to fight his way out?" I asked.

"Yeah." He got up and served himself some ice tea. "Want some?" he asked.

"No thank you." I replied, a little more comfortable by now.

"Cool…" he sipped some of his drink before heading over to the TV and putting it on. Grabbing the remote, he went over to Pay-Per-View channel and selected Gamer. While waiting for the movie to load, I cleared my throat.

"Hey Link…"

"Hmm?"

"About the assignment in class… On Friday… In English class…"

"What about it?" he asked, munching on some turkey.

"Aren't you thankful for anything asides being alive? Like… friends? Happiness? Love? Material possessions? Family? " I asked.

He shut up and gulped down, stopping his eating for a moment to look down on the ground. Just as I thought he wouldn't speak again, he shrugged and put some rice in his mouth.

"Why should I be thankful for things I don't have?"

I couldn't reply to that dark comment because the movie started.

---

At one point, right after that ice cream truck in the game hit that Muslim lady, I started feeling cold. A quick look outside proved that it was raining heavily. Sighing, I took the liberty of pulling my legs up against my chest to cuddle up a bit.

Link seemed to notice.

"You cold?" he asked.

"A bit…" I shrugged.

"Here…" he sighed, getting up and grabbing a small blanket from the chair next to him. He then threw it at me before sitting down again.

"It… Wouldn't be fair for just me to have it…" I muttered, seeing as he was wearing a t-shirt.

"Fine." Without even thinking, he grabbed the blanket and pulled it over him, taking most of it off of me.

Rolling my eyes, I got close so that I could fit in the blanket. I was only comfortable when mere inches separated us. That's when I closed my eyes and cuddled up on myself again, breathing in deep. A sweet scent lingered in the air, and I vaguely wondered what it was. The smell of Link's finished turkey dinner was still in the air, mixing with the sweet smell coming off of the blanket I was cuddling on… And through the screams and gunshots coming from the TV, I felt my consciousness dimming. The blanket, then the living room, and finally, Kable's face all faded to black as I felt my head droop on the side.

---

I was woken up by some loud noises. Groaning, I sat up and looked at the TV. The movie hadn't ended yet, and some weird people were currently dancing on the screen. Ignoring them, I turned to Link.

And… that's when I realized he was also asleep, head dropped on the side of the couch, lying on his back. His eyes were closed peacefully, his chest rising up and down peacefully. I blushed, noticing he had one of those cute little sleeping habits: unconsciously sliding his hand under his shirt when it got too hot. As a result, half his torso was exposed under the blanket. On his shoulder was a patch of wrinkled cloth… And… That must have been where I fell asleep.

…

Wait, WHAT?

I FELL ASLEEP ON LINK'S SHOULDER??

Blushing, I tried scrambling away a bit, but since the blanket was still wrapped around me, I only managed a pathetic stumble as he moved, taking the blanket with him. The result of this complicated equation was simple, yet complicated: me on top of him as he faintly groaned, his eyebrows twitching as he struggled to awake.

Unfortunately, he did… Right before I had the chance to get off of him.

He slowly blinked and groaned, looking up at me. I blushed even harder, wishing he'd just go back to sleep. He didn't, though, and finally snapped out of his daze, looking up at me.

"Any particular reason why you're lying on me, entangled in a blanket?" he asked with a semi-smug grin that proved that he wasn't fully awake yet.

"No… I was trying to get up, but I tripped…" I muttered faintly.

"No problem…" he stretched and looked at the TV. The movie was obviously drawing near, gotten to the place where Kable has to resist killing his daughter. "I'll watch the ending another time…" he muttered to himself, fumbling around for the remote and turning the TV off.

Silence and darkness engulfed the room. For a moment, I yawned, hearing Link follow after me. And I felt tempted to just let myself fall asleep. I was about to, when he suddenly moved from under me, groaning.

"Mind getting off me?" he asked tiredly.

"Oh, sorry, sorry!" I gasped, quickly getting off of him, blushing harder. Dammit, tonight couldn't get any weirder.

"It's okay…" he yawned, getting up and checking the time before pulling his shirt over his head and throwing it in a corner.

Even in the darkness of the night, I could see his amazing muscles rippling through his skin. To my faint disappointment, he laid back down and pulled the blanket over him.

"If you want, you can leave… Your mom must be worried about you…" he muttered sleepily.

"Uh… I told her I'd be late… But if you'd like me to leave, I'll go…" I muttered back, biting my lip.

"It doesn't bother me… It's not like there's anything for you to do here if I fall asleep." He shrugged, turning over on his back to look at me.

"Alright… I guess I'll leave now…" I bit my lip harder, getting up, and gently putting the blanket back on the couch before heading for the door, when I suddenly remembered. "Wait, I left my phone on the table…" I noted out loud, turning back and walking back to the couch. "Where could I have left it?" I muttered to myself, trying not to bother Link in his shallow sleep-like trance.

I only found it when I accidentally kicked it, and stepping forward, I tripped over the couch's legs, falling over… Link.

So much for not bothering him in his shallow trance-like sleep.

Oh, because it's really easy to ignore a couple of perfect lips on yours, even if you're half-asleep.

I stood there for a second, immobile, just like Link. He was even more frozen under me, probably wondering what the hell was going on. Just like me.

I finally pulled apart when my lungs screamed for air. Both of us simultaneously throwing each other off, we both coughed for air as Link fell off the couch onto his knees, and I sat down, coughing into my hands.

What the hell just happened?

Link seemed to have a good idea because he immediately reached and slammed his hand on the light switch, blinding me when the lights came on in the living room. When I finished, I looked up at him, pretty sure my face was as red as a tomato. I tried to look straight in his eyes. What I saw was not what I was expecting.

I mean, not what I was expecting at all.

At all.

Why is he crying?

Clutching onto the light switch like it was his life, he was looking down at me, a couple of tears running down his cheeks.

"I'm… sorry?" I tried, knowing it was futile.

"I don't like it when girls act friendly just because they want to get under my clothes…" he suddenly sniffled. "Get out, please."

"Link, I didn't mean to-"

"Please, get out."

"I'm sorry, I didn't do it on-"

"GET OUT!"

That last one was a heart-wrenching cry he gave before collapsing on his knees, crying his heart out into his hands.

I stood frozen on the couch watching him cry. For some reason, it pulled the strings on my heart, making me seem so bad in this situation. I just watched him break down for some reason, and I did nothing about it. Because I couldn't move. Link Gaiden, 18 years old, smart, strong, courageous kid, was now breaking down in tears right in front of me, Zelda Harkinian, 18 years old, bitchy, rich, popular, lovesick lecher.

And… without his shirt on.

"I'm sorry…" I suddenly whispered, getting up, trying hard to keep my own tears at bay.

"Please, get out…" he sniffled, not even lifting his eyes to look at me.

"No Link…" I finally found the courage to speak up. "I don't want to leave yet. Not yet." I slowly made my way to his side.

"Get away… Go away! DON'T TOUCH ME!" he screamed, breaking down into tears again, clutching his head.

"I'm sorry, I really am, I didn't mean to fall on you… That kiss was accidental." Yet very enjoyable nonetheless.

Did I just think that? Bad Zelda. Bad girl.

"What's wrong?" I finally kneeled next to him and put a hand on his shoulder, finally noticing how much he was shivering. Grabbing the blanket off the couch, I rolled it over him, seeming to calm him down a little bit. "It's okay, I'm not trying to do anything except get to know you." I told him, gently caressing his hair.

"Then why did you kiss me so abruptly?" he sniffled, not lifting his eyes yet.

"I didn't… I just fell on you and my lips must have touched yours." I sighed.

"I don't like it when people lie… And I like it even less when girls get close to me, go for a one-night stand, then leave." He muttered, finally lifting his red-rimmed eyes to look at me.

"I'm not aiming for a one-night stand…" I assured him. Besides, if I could, I'd go for a relationship, this guy's way too good to pass up on.

"All the other girls have, what makes you think you're so special?" he growled, looking down.

"Because…" I sighed, being bold enough to reach out and take his face gently in my hands, turning it around to meet my eyes. "I don't think you're the kind of guy girls can pick up at clubs and have fun with." I smiled sadly.

"Midna seemed to think so…" he muttered in a whisper.

That's when I choked on my own saliva. Pulling back, I glared at him, incredulous.

"You… Went out with Midna…?" I asked, awed, once I'd gotten my coughing under control.

"Used to. For a couple of days only, though. It was in ninth grade, I wasn't as much of a reject as I am now, and Midna thought I looked sexy enough to be 'good for her'. So she decided to date me. On the first night, we went on a date. On the second night, she slept over at my place. On the third night, she insisted on sleeping over at my place again. I let her, again. And at night, she got horny and decided to use me as her experiment. Her words were 'I want to see what makes you tick'. And that's when I left the room and spent the night locked in the bathroom. By morning, she was gone. At school, she dumped me, and quickly pushed me to the bottom of the hierarchy." He finished his explanation with a sad sigh.

"I'm sorry to hear that… Midna's always been a no-good bitch anyway…" I muttered, caressing his back. "You don't think I'm like Midna, though, do you?" I asked, worried.

"You're not… I guess I was just… afraid… that all you girls were all the same..." he chuckled darkly, then looked at me again. "I guess that's not true."

"Hell no it's not." That's when I took the liberty of giving him a hug from behind, putting my face in his hair, breathing into his enchanting scent. "I promise to be your friend, not just because…" you're drop-dead sexy, you have the cutest ass, and the hottest abs, "…you're adorable, but also because you're very smart and funny. I'd like to be your friend." I assured him, taking immense pleasure out of it.

"Thanks…" he seemed to calm down, and turned around to face me, scrutinizing my face. For a moment, I thought he was looking at something in particular, but he suddenly rushed his head forward and kissed me again. This time, I let myself go, wondering what the hell he was doing. The kiss was short, yet sweet, and he pulled back, blushing.

"The… hell?" I asked a couple of moments later.

"I… Wanted to see… if you… 'tasted' like Midna…" he muttered, embarrassed. "Cold, void and avid…" he added under his breath.

"I hope not." I blinked out of my daze and smiled.

"No…" he laughed lightly, turning back to me to smile.

There was a moment of silence again before he jumped at me and kissed me again, pinning me on the floor. Can't say I don't like it.

"We're just friends, right?" he asked, pulling away, then dipping again for another kiss that robbed me of my breath again.

"Yeah, just friends." I smirked before returning his kiss with a smile.

Only when he started heaving, I stopped, wondering if he was hyperventilating, or just panicking. Neither, apparently, since he smiled.

"This is officially the weirdest relationship I've ever been in."

Guess he chose to ignore the 'just friends' concept we just mentioned…. Oh well, I'm not the one complaining. Without giving him enough time to gather his thoughts, I was the one who attacked him, landing in his arms. He circled me tenderly, squeezing me against his bare chest. This moment could not have been more perfect.

---

I left late at night, after Link had gone to bed. I kissed him good night before sneaking out. It was already eleven, and by the time I got home, it'd be eleven thirty. I hope my mom didn't worry.

Apparently not, because when I came home, everyone was asleep. Thanks for waiting for dessert, you guys.

Licking my lips, I closed my eyes in delight. Sweet, sweet Nayru, thank you. Thank you SO MUCH for tonight.

...

I think I now understand what Thanksgiving is all about.

It's not just about stupid school assignments, or turkey dinners, or family gatherings, or a three-day weekend.

No, it's actually a time when you have to thank the Goddesses for everything you have.

I know that sounded a bit obvious, but it's just now that I realized it. I wish my family would understand that as well. I guess Cucoos will grow teeth before they do, though.

Forget it. This'll be mine, just mine. Every Thanksgiving, from now on, I'll be the only one in my family who will actually concentrate on something else than the turkey.

Come to think of it, why DO we eat turkey anyway?

I sighed. Too many thoughts in my mind. Yawning, I tiredly dragged myself to my bed, plopping down on it, and kicking off my shoes before crawling inside. I won't even bother putting my pyjamas on. Just sleep. Sleep sounds nice.

I yawned again and smiled. Life is good. Thanks again, you Three. You can expect one more thanks from me next Thanksgiving. You just made my life complete.

"So like, I'm thankful for my health, and for having a loving family and friends." I closed my eyes, drifting off to sleep. "And most of all, I'm thankful for having the greatest guy in the world by my side. Thanks a bunch..."

With that, my mind left the world, my lips curled up in a proud smile.

Why proud?

Hell, why wouldn't I be? Thanksgiving's widely considered a turkey-fest over three days. I just uncovered The Real Meaning Behind It.

**************

**Author's Notes:**

**Yes yes, cheesy last line, don't sue me for it. It's just an ending i slapped together because I was running out of time.**

**And... I suck at endings. Not just ending lines, but endings in general. The last section was... very awkward. And... I was really uncomfortable with the second-to-last section.**

**My Thanksgiving dinner was HUGE =O There was a freakin TURKEY in the middle of the table, and not just a baby one, I mean, a real HUGE, FAT-ASS TURKEY.**

**GAMER IS A GOOD MOVIE, OKAI? It's bloody and has nudity in it, BUT IT'S A GOOD MOVIE, DAMMIT! Don't tell me about it, my friends went to see Inglorious Bastards while me and my bestie went to see Gamer =.= Inglorious... was... disturbing... And... I'm looking forward to Ninja Assassin=D Sounds like a good movie -^^-**

**OKAI, ADVIE TIME AGAIN! =D Participate in Wavebreeze's and my ZeLink contest PLEEEEEEEEEASE *cries*Here's a link to the forum, JUST PLEEEEEASE TAKE A LOOK! =] ****www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/forum/Back_to_School_ZeLink_Contest/65276/**** Just replace the (dot)s by the actual . =3**

**So yeah... looking forward to entries! Oh, and all you guys who, in the poll in my profile, voted for "better prizes for the contest", PM me with your ideas for better prizes, because I DON'T HAVE PAYPAL! *rips hair out* If I did, I'd have already bought Batneko's Weekly Hyrule News as a book =O She's awesome =]**

**And I just realized that CrazygurlMadness, a very good author on this site (LOOK HER UP, DAMMIT!) lives in Montreal! =O I DIDN'T THINK ANYONE ELSE THAN ME ON FFN LIVED IN MONTREAL! YES! I'M NOT A LONER! =D**

**Oh , and another random side-note: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Moonlight-Zelda! =D**

**Okay, I'm done. PLEASE REVIEW! BECAUSE MY KEYBOARD'S NOT TYPING TOO WELL RIGHT NOW! =D SO JUST REVIEW! =D**

**PS: "I'm on a Boat now", by "The Lonely Island" GETS ON MAH NERVES! =O IM ON A BOAT NOW! =D**


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